Los Angeles daily herald., 1887-09-17
DAILY HERALD.
UTAH'S GREAT LAKE.
salt water i'm Which a BatheI
Gan Not Siuk-Three Beaches.

n
Oan Not sink-Three Beaches.
Some day people will visit Salt Lake
as they now throng the seashore, says
a letter to the Omaha World. Some
dav the borders OF this immense in
land sea will be lined with large hotels,
elegant villas, and gaily-colored bath
ing houses. The waves OF the briny
lake will some day bear the light
burden OF excursion boats, yachts and
rowboats in large numbers. The
mountains around it will be dotted
with country homes and secured by
excursion parties. The seekers after
health and recreation will find both in
the benefits and pleasures OF frequent
baths in the most wonderful OF lakes.
AT present the popular idea of Salt
Lake CITY is that it is Il settlement OF
polygamous law-defying Mormons on
the shores of dead sea.
Salt water bathing may be enjoyed
by all who visit Salt Lake, which can
not fail to convert this Mormon strong
hold into great health resort. Even
this year, which is practically the first
since good bathing-houses have been
erected, and railroad accommodations
made adequate, hundreds OF bathers
enter the water of Salt Lake every
day, and hourly trains run from the
city to the three beaches.
Have you ever bathed in water that
is Is per cent. or almost one-sixth
salt? Probably not. Very few peo-
ple have vet realized the exhilerating
and invigorating effects of a bath IN
Salt Lake, and nowhere else in the
world can such water be found. The
water of the ocean is per cent. salt,
and considerably more buoyant than
fresh water. The water Of Salt Lake
contains five times as much salt as the
water of the ocean, and it is SO buoy
ant that human being floats upon
its surface like log of wood. Men,
women and children, totally urable to
swim, enter the lake with perfect
safety, and in their gayly-colored
bathing suits bob around in the water
like so many human bubbles. So
great is the specific gravity OF the
water in this lake that a person can
not sink. And the only evil to guard
against is getting a mouthful of salt
water, which is so strong as to choke
one disagreeably and even painfully.
Five hundred bathers were enjoy
ing the waters of the beach when the
writer and the artist, attired in gaudy
bathing suits, entered the briny flood
yesterday. We soon found ourselves
in the midst of men, women and chill
dren, indolently floating on the water
or lazily swimming to and fro. The
habits OF the fresh-water bather are
more brisk, and naturally enough ]
"struck out" as the saying is, to dc
some swimming. In moment
wished | had not been in such a
hurry. My feet and hands bobbed UP
to the surface, or near it, and the con-
sequent splash OF water sent several
stinging drops into my eyes. For a
moment the briny. burning sensation
was quite severe, far more so than
ocean water could make it. l then
realized what excellent judgment was
displayed by those who behaved more
quietly in the water. They had NO
difficulty in keeping eyes, nose and
which is SO pleasant to float in. A
little experience will enable any one
to float and slowly swim in this water
without getting it into the mouth OF
eyes. The chief precaution is to keeI
quiet, and that the bathers realize
this is evident from the lazy manner
in which they lie around in the water
or the equally lazy way in which they
roii, or swim, Or paddle from place to
place.
The Great Salt lake is of irregular
shape, and in the longest direction in
a straight line covers a distance of
about sixty miles. 1t contains a num-
Der of mountainous islands, and is
bordered in some places by low-lying
beaches, and in others by high mount
aims, which in some cases run down
to the waters edge. During June,
July, August and September the water
is warm enough to feel agreeable to
the most delicate. In color the water
of this lake appears blue, the shade
depending on the clearness of the day.
So clear and transparent is this water
that the bottom of the lake is plainly
visible even where the water is fifteen
feet deep. The inexperienced bather
sometimes attempts to touch bottom
in water which is beyond his depth
because he is deceived into believing
that the bottom which he can see so
plainly is covered only by four or five
feet of water.
Three resorts have thus far been
established on the shores of Salt Lake,
all of them reached by railroad from
the city in from half an hour to forty
five minutes. These bathing places
are located on the southern shore of
the lake, about twenty-five miles dis
tant from the city at the base of high
and is called Garfield
beach.
The fresh water bather can not be
surprised at the feats performed in
this lake without any difficulty. Men
lie on their backs in the water quietly
smoking as they are rocked delight
fully in the swells which roll in lazy
waves upon the beach. Men and
women lying upon their backs form
long professions the leader putting his
feet under the armpits OF the next per-
son, and he or she in turn doing the
same to the third person in line. In
this way eight or ten linked together
may be seen floating on the water,
slowly proceeding in procession rs the
leader uses his arms to propel the hui
man raft. Those who thus link them
selves together are, l presume, we'll
acquainted with each other. Several
ladies dressed in fancy bathing suits
attracted my attention from the ease
and grace OF their movements in the
water. Indeed, one cannot fail to note
that women are far more graceful in
the water than men as soon as they
acquire confidence, which they appear
to gain very soon.
1t is common for bathers in this
lake to remain in the water an hour.
Many extend the time to two and
some to three hours. Moderate bath
ing can be INDUCED in day after day
- ~ Il. Il